A Systems Dynamics Approach for Cost Management of Transition of Machine from Solid to Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace Production
Open Access DepositedAerospace parts, such as brackets, have traditionally relied on metal or metal alloy materials like titanium due to their mature manufacturing processes and mechanical properties that meet stringent standards. Metallic materials are often manufactured from machined from solid (MFS) production where material waste and operational costs are high due to its high scrap rates and high buy-to-fly (BTF) ratios. A decade of research has shown a growing interest in Additive Manufacturing as a replacement for the traditional MFS process to help reduce materials waste and operational expenses and allow near-net shape parts for aerospace components. The Systems Dynamics (SD) tool, the research product for this praxis, examines the cost management method and the cost benefits of transitioning from traditional MFS to AM in aerospace production. This study incorporates critical cost drivers, including materials, operations, and equipment costs, using several publicly available datasets from past literature, Rolls-Royce, Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), Boeing, and the United States (U.S.) Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to NASA's Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the use cases in this study are different types of brackets in aircraft production, assessing low, medium, and high production volumes and three implementation scenarios identified as early, moderate, and late transitions. The results suggest that early adoption yields the quickest breakeven point in all production scenarios.
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PerezTorres_gwu_0075A_17231.pdf | 2025-04-09 | Open Access |
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